Endodontics – what does your insurance cover and what do you pay for yourself?

Endodontics (root canal treatment) is an important procedure that helps preserve your own teeth even in cases of deep decay or nerve inflammation. Patients often ask: How much does endodontic treatment cost and what does health insurance cover?

What does endodontics involve?

Endodontic treatment means:

• Removal of infected or dead dental pulp.
• Cleaning and disinfecting the root canals.
• Sealing them with a special material.
• Restoring the function of the tooth with a filling or crown.

The aim is to save a tooth that would otherwise have to be extracted.

Endodontics and health insurance

Czech health insurance companies cover basic root canal treatment for permanent teeth. This means that if the dentist follows standard procedures (e.g. manual cleaning of the canals, filling using the basic method), the insurance company will pay for the treatment.

The following are therefore covered:

• Examination and diagnosis.
• Basic root canal cleaning.
• Filling of canals with covered material.

What the patient usually pays extra for

If the dentist uses more modern technologies and materials that are not included in the list of services covered by the insurance company, this is considered above-standard care, for which the patient pays extra. This includes, for example:

• Machine processing of canals (rotary nickel-titanium instruments).
• Filling with warm gutta-percha (better 3D sealing of the canals).
• Optical magnification and a microscope for more precise treatment.
• Higher quality and more aesthetic filling or crown for the treated tooth.

The amount of the additional payment varies depending on the number of roots and the complexity of the procedure.

Why is it worth investing in endodontics?

• You save your own tooth – no implant or bridge replacement is necessary.
• Modern methods have a higher success rate and long-term durability.
• A treated tooth can last as long as a healthy one.

Endodontics is covered by health insurance in its basic scope. However, if the patient requires modern, comfortable and long-term reliable treatment, an additional payment for above-standard materials and technologies must be taken into account. However, investing in quality endodontic treatment pays off – it allows you to keep your own tooth and avoid more complex and expensive replacements.

At The Clinic, we use a microscope for endodontics to ensure greater precision and quality of treatment.